I have a piece of very old cedar wood from here in PA. It is over 500 years old by the count on the rings. Has anyone ever turned a insert from this type of cedar?

Is it red cedar? If so, Stan Grace uses western juniper which is extremely similar in density, grain, and smell. Try contacting him by searching for his name and e-mail address. I think the juniper is quite easy to work with and so I would guess red cedar is also.

I don't know, Brad. If you try to show all 500 rings, it is going to make a very heavy handle or reel seat, LOL. Sorry Brad, couldn't resist.

Hey Steve,
I think it is red cedar. A friend of mine climbed down a clift on Pine Creek & retrieved it. The tree had been eroded out of the side of the cliff so it was dead. He counted the rings not me!

Don't know how old some of the cedar I use is but I have used quite a lot of red cedar. It's easy to use but extremely brittle. I use perma gloss over it to preserve it, it is a bit soft but with a good water proof finish it has held up well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2006 12:26PM by sam fox.

Do those trees get that old here in PA? I've never used cedar myself on fly rods, but I would guess that if the wood is intact and solid, you could certainly cut an insert out of it. I would hit it with a few coats of Tru-Oil or maybe better yet permagloss like Sam says.

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

Cedar also makes a very attractive grip, if you can choose piece that has at least some figure or color variation in it.

..............

Cedar works fine. Here's a piece I use for the 'rub collar' on my Cannon rigger's rod holder. This came from central Ontario. Glasscoat for the finish..it's holding up better than expected.

[www.fishingphotos.net]

as a side note..I believe I was told that utility poles are cedar...if you find where they're replacing them,the old ones usually lay there a while-----chainsaw a hunk off. Probably only the inner core will be usable,after it dries out awhile.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2006 12:54PM by Harv Gorton.

Utility poles would probably not be cedar. At least not in this day and age. Cedar is slow growing and rarely reaches the height needed for most utility poles in a matter of even a few decades.

..............

Western Red Cedar was a chief source of utility poles for many years. Sand point Idaho was a hub of trade in cedar utility poles. This particular specie is relatively slow growing and durable providing a straight grained wood with some inherent preservative characteristics. While many other species were used for utility poles cedar was the pole of choice throughout most of the Western U S. Upon replacement as utility poles many of the salvaged poles were split for posts and rails used for fencing. As Tom notes the growth characteristic becomes a factor in the continued harvest and use of Western Red Cedar for this purpose however there are a few still in use and probably a considerable amount of the wood still available in some form due to its decay resistant character.
Rocky Mountain Juniper is similar to cedar in many respects but has a different growth habit and flourishes in a much dryer environment. Both woods however are relatively light weight soft woods with dense grain and similar color and odor. The juniper by growth habit has more grain figure and knot inclusions. Both woods will make attractive grips and reel seats.


Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Hi Brad,

Haven't talked with you in awhile. Spanish Cedar was the wood of choice for reel seat inserts from the Payne Rod Company. According to Payne, Spanish Cedar was actually lighter than cork. I think what you have will make a fine reel seat. Wish I had some myself.

Harry

Western Red Cedar was the wood of choice for making fishing rods up through the better part of the 19th century. Much better than Ash or Hickory and it was only supplanted when the first split bamboo rods came along.

..............

I have made a few handle assembles including the reel seat from red cedar and it comes out very nice. Make sure you leave a good amount for sanding if it is dry, it turns nice but doesn't come out real smooth turning, at least I have not had much luck. I just leave a bit extra for sanding.